MBTA Celebrates Groundbreaking for New Salem Commuter Rail Station

New Station, Parking Facility to Ease Daily Commutes, Support Development

Start Date: 9/16/2013

SALEM - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott today joined state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new MBTA Salem Commuter Rail Station.

“I am thrilled that we are delivering to Salem area residents a bigger, brighter, better and more convenient station and parking facility,” said Dr. Scott. “I know this project has been a long time coming, and I want to thank our state legislators past and present and the Mayor for their tireless advocacy and support for funding in bringing this project from the drawing board to reality.”

The $44.5 million station project will include a new five-level parking facility holding approximately 700 vehicles and facilitate future Transit-Oriented Development opportunities on nearby MBTA and City of Salem sites. The MBTA has made a commitment to the City to open the new garage for parking by October 1, 2014 for the 2014 Halloween season.

"Along with the garage going up in Beverly, this project in Salem will further solidify the North Shore as a convenient place for commuters to call home,” said State Senator Joan Lovely. “I'm very appreciative to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for planning this garage construction in such a methodical and considerate way. I would also like to thank my predecessor, former Senator Fred Berry, for being instrumental in making this project come to fruition."

The project will provide a fully accessible intermodal Commuter Rail Station along with a new garage with accessible parking on all five levels and electric car parking, Zip Car parking, motorcycle parking, and bicycle parking.

The new station and parking facility will support higher-frequency MBTA Commuter Rail service. The Salem Station is currently the second busiest on the Commuter Rail system with 2,400 boardings per day. The project design promotes future Transit-Oriented Development opportunities by providing for future development on the nearby City of Salem site and over the bus and vehicle driveways to the riverfront.

“I am excited and happy to see this along awaited project finally becoming a reality,” said Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “As the busiest commuter rail station on this line, Salem has long been in need of an appropriate, multi-modal transit hub, to anchor our downtown, accommodate commuters, and serve as a suitable first impression to our vibrant city for visitors. I want to thank Governor Patrick, MassDOT and MBTA, and our legislative delegation – former Senator Fred Berry, Senator Joan Lovely, and Representative John Keenan – for making this possible. I also want to thank the many dozens of Salem residents and commuters who attended all the public meetings and provided their input and ideas that helped make this a better project. I am very much looking forward to the new platform and garage opening next Fall.”

The MassDOT Board of Directors in December 2012 approved the construction contract for the Salem Commuter Rail Station and Parking Garage. Consigli Construction, Inc. is the project contractor. The MBTA held four community meetings with neighbors and commuters who use Salem Station. A final project design with public input and support was completed in June of 2013.